Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!lavaca.uh.edu!uhnix1!sugar!ficc!peter
From: peter@ficc.ferranti.com (Peter da Silva)
Newsgroups: alt.sources.d
Subject: Re: wp2latex (1 of 4)
Message-ID: <-Z45SQ2@ggpc2.ferranti.com>
Date: 11 Aug 90 22:16:07 GMT
References: <1990Aug8.114855.17114@metro.ucc.su.OZ.AU> <-335ZE6@xds13.ferranti.com> <6443@helios.ee.lbl.gov>
Reply-To: peter@ficc.ferranti.com (Peter da Silva)
Organization: Xenix Support, FICC
Lines: 30

In article <6443@helios.ee.lbl.gov> leres@helios.ee.lbl.gov (ucbvax!leres for uucp weenies) writes:
> Peter da Silva writes:
> > Is it *really* too much to ask that people include an Archive-name: entry
> > in postings to alt.sources? It is such a little thing, and saves countless
> > hours of poring through files with names like "30Jul90.17652". Just put, on
> > the first line of the message:

> Yes, I think it *really* is.

> The poor suckers can't remember to post alt.sources discussion to
> alt.sources.d, how do you expect them to remember to add your header?

It's not *my* header. It's the standard header on *every* posting in *every*
moderated sources group. It's a de-facto standard for everyone on the net.

> It'd be one thing if news software could be configured to require extra
> header(s) on a per newsgroup basis but you're talking about something
> that has to be manually added.

So does putting a posting into shar format, uuencoding binaries, and so on.

Look at it this way: when you post something to alt.sources you're doing it
because you want people to use your code. You go to the trouble of sharring
it up, splitting it, and so on to try to ensure that people can use it. You
go to the trouble of putting a meaningful subject line so that people can
find it.

And after all that it doesn't get archived because news guys don't have the
time to read and file every sources posting that comes in. Seems pretty
counterproductive to me.
-- 
NAME: Peter da Silva.   WOLF: `-_-'
PSTN: +1 713 274 5180.         'U`
DNS: peter@ferranti.com
BITNET: Oavzgsz@AcadiaU.CA